03/31/2015

There’s an old proverb:“To be forewarned is to be forearmed.” It means if you know what is ahead you can prepare for it. Makes sense. This is true for armies, people on long hikes, and writers. Especially writers coming to a writers conference.

Many conferees come to Blue Ridge to pitch their book and article ideas. That’s very good. Some however, fail to give it much thought. Since time with agents, editors, and writers during the appointment time is limited, as are nonappointment pitches (such as sitting around the lobby, sharing a meal at one of the faculty tables, etc.) it is important to have ready answers.

So what questions should you be ready to answer? Here are a few that are likely to come up:

GENRE?

What genre is your book? Genre is a category of fiction and nonfiction. Books in a particular genre share characteristics. For example, most mysteries are told in first person, involve someone dying, and a “detective” (often amateur) who will solve the case. (Think of the Murder She Wrote television series.) Romance deals with love gained and lost. Both genres are generally short. In nonfiction, genre (most professionals would use “category”) might be memoir, biography, Christian living, apologetics, Bible Study, history, discipleship, and the like.

Do you know your genre? Nothing puts an agent or editor off more than an author who doesn’t understand their own book.

SPIRITUAL TAKE AWAY?

The first “C” in BRMCWC stands for Christian. That means all our faculty write for, represent, or publish for the Christian market. They are likely to ask, “So, what’s the spiritual take away.” They may phrase it differently but the meaning is the same: What will our readers get out of this? Will they know more? Care more? Be comforted? Challenged? Made to think about new things? You get the idea.

What will the reader take away from your book?

POTENTIAL AUDIENCE?

Who is likely to read your book? Youth, children, pastors, young mothers, lovers of science fiction? Readers of Amish books. Hopefully, when you began your work, you had an audience in mind.

Be ready to say, “My readers are _____________.”

WHY THIS SUBJECT?

What motivated you to write on this subject. Writing is an investment of time and mental effort. Why this subject for the article or book or novel? They want to know what motivates you. Does the topic excite you? Will it excite others?

MANUSCRIPT STATUS?

Agents and editors will want to know if the manuscript is finished. It doesn’t have to be to pitch an idea. In fact, it is not uncommon for publishers to contract for unfinished nonfiction books. Not so for novels. Novels usually need to be complete before an editor will send a contract. That, however, does keep an agent or editor from expressing interest in the project. They many want to see your proposal and then say, if they like it, “I want to see the full manuscript when it is ready.”

If your manuscript is not finished, then it is important to be able to say when it will be. Publishing is slow. Most agents and editors are used to hearing, “My work will be ready in six months.” Don’t promise a quick turn around and then fail to deliver. Be honest.

COMPETITIVE TITLES?

Competitive titles are books that are similar in topic as yours. Being able to answer this question will tell the agent or editor a couple of things. First, that you’ve done your research; that you’re not spending your time in a bubble. Thousands of books are published each year. Are any of them like yours (or yours like them)? How old are the competitive books? When you do your proposal, you will list these titles. This applies more to the nonfiction writer than the novelist. It’s your responsibility to know what else is out there that might compete with your book.

YOUR AUTHORITY?

This, like competitive titles, is more important to nonfiction writers. What makes you an authority? Having grown up in the church does not make you an expert in biblical interpretation. A writer of nonfiction needs a foundation to stand on, a foundation others can see. Your potential readers will be asking the same kind of question: Why should I believe you? This does not mean that you can’t prove yourself to be an authority. It’s interesting to see that most tech journalists have degrees in subject areas that have nothing to do with tech. Still, they go out and learn what needs to be learned. Sometimes a nonfiction writer does not put his or herself forward as the expert, but more of a researcher pulling together the thinking of specialists. The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel is a great example. He was a journalist with a degree in law and that’s how he approached the subject—not as a pastor (although he is one now), or theologian but as a journalist with a legal mind attempting to get to the bottom of the Jesus mystery.

Okay class, got any questions?

Alton Gansky is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers conference and the author of over 40 books.

03/30/2015

We are less than two months away from the 2015 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Al and I are super excited, and we're neck-deep in plans, prayers and details.

This year, we’re borrowing an idea that’s becoming popular at other conferences, like ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and putting our own Blue Ridge spin on it. It’s called Genre Night, and will take place on Tuesday evening, along with our faculty book signing.

We are inviting everyone attending the conference—yes, that includes the faculty—to dress up in a creative costume, representing on of the following:

1. The genre they write.

2. The genre they love.

3. Something clever about being a writer.

For those that know me, it will come as no surprise that I have a Steampunk costume in mind. I’ll be packing a hatbox with my favorite top hat, along with plenty of velvet and lace. For those who write spec or historical, this is pretty easy to figure out. For those who write in a contemporary genre, it might mean dressing up as a cowboy, or DJ or even a rock star. The only limit is your imagination.

And the most important part, it to have fun.

Here’s how the evening’s schedule will play out:

Wear your costume to supper Tuesday evening, then proceed over to Johnson Spring for Torry Martin’s keynote. Next, we’ll invite everyone to take part in a costume procession across the stage. This gives all of us a chance to see the costumes. Finally, we’ll have time to visit and take pictures during the faculty book signing, which will also take place in the main, Johnson Spring meeting room.

This isn’t time to be shy. Begin thinking about how best to illustrate the genre you love by taking part in our second annual, Blue Ridge Genre Night.

03/24/2015

Not to worry, you still have time to enter our contests but the number of days left grows smaller. Every year we get e-mail from conferees asking if they can still enter the contests even though the deadline has passed. So remember:

1) The deadline for the Selah Awards is April 1st (no foolin').

2) The deadline for the Director's Choice Award is also April first (still not foolin').

3) Entries for the Unpublished Writers Contest comes to a close on April 10 (which is closer than you might think).

For information on contests, click on the 2015 Contest tab above.

Also . . .

Those of you who want to get a critique from one of the faculty need to visit the 2015 Critiques tab above to see the cutoff dates. Each participating faculty member has his or her own cut off date, so you'll need to pin that down.

03/23/2015

Dawn Anderson

Associate Editor, Kregel Publications

Dawn Anderson (Associate Editor, Kregel Publications) passionately loves the career to which God has drawn her. A graduate of Cornerstone University with an English major and a psychology minor, she began proofreading professionally in college, but took the circuitous route through typesetting, teaching high school English, homeschooling, and play directing before finally settling down to editing full time. Kregel employee of the year for 2012, wife of twenty-plus years, mom of tweens and teens, and involved with youth at church, she enjoys reading proposals (and a few published works) in her free time.

Dawn currently acquires and edits both fiction and nonfiction over a variety of genres and categories for audiences 13 to 99.

What Kregel is currently looking for in fiction:

Adult or YA titles in historical, biblical, Amish, mystery, suspense, contemporary, and romance , or some workable combination of these. Kregel is not looking for titles for kids or tweens, or for literary, allegorical, or speculative fiction. Kregel seeks fiction that is entertaining, with exceptional storytelling and some spiritual depth. Kregel avoids blatantly preachy stories with an obvious agenda.

What Kregel is currently looking for in nonfiction:

Titles for adult audiences in Christian living, spiritual formation, evangelism, apologetics, men’s issues, women’s issues, and family and relationships. Kregel does not publish much in the way of biography or autobiography, devotionals, or health and diet. Bible study has to be supported by sufficient platform and series potential. Like most publishers, Kregel is looking for nonfiction authors with quality writing, a creative hook, and ample platform.

Special Notes:

I’m happy to meet with prospective authors at any stage of their journey, but to be seriously considered for publication, prepublished authors must have a completed manuscript.

Classes:

Writing Nonfiction with Authority.It takes more than a great idea to place a book with a publisher. What are the hard questions you need to ask yourself to determine if your idea—with you as its author—is sellable? Can a homeschooling mom with a bachelor’s in performing arts who served as a church worship pastor for five years and who has a passion for writing and Scripture expect to be able to sell a Christian living title surrounding OT theophanies? Why or why not? What is the scope of her authority and how can she use it through writing?

She Loves Me – She Loves Me Not! It’s not quite as capricious as pulling petals from a daisy, but editing is a very subjective process. Everyone brings their biases, expectations, and pet peeves to the table. This opens the door to potential miscommunication and resentment before the editor and author have even exchanged an email. A good author-editor relationship builds trust on both sides that allows the process to be an ongoing dialogue where everyone is satisfied with the outcome. Editing shouldn’t be a tug-of-war, but a mutual pulling up of whatever anchors may hold the book back, allowing common goals to rise from the work. Join editor Dawn Anderson and author Cindy Sproles as they discuss the process, the goals, and the possible pitfalls in an editor-author relationship. Enjoy their success story and plan for one of your own. Whether you plan to hire a freelance editor or anticipate your first contract, learn how to develop a “she loves me” relationship rather than a “she loves me not” attitude.

Erin Buterbaugh

Literary Agent, MacGregor Literary

Erin Buterbaugh is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary, Inc. Erin is a graduate of the acclaimed Professional Writing program at Taylor University and joined MacGregor Literary in 2012. Prior to becoming an agent, she worked for several years as a freelance writer and editor before accepting an in-house editing position with a curriculum publisher in her home state of Colorado.

(Consultation guidelines) Erin is currently accepting submissions in middle-grade, YA, romance, mystery/suspense, and women's fiction. She loves finding the novel equivalent of a good "popcorn movie-" action/adventure, travel suspense, etc., and she enjoys a project that can make her laugh, whatever the genre. On the non-fiction side, she's looking for writers with a unique approach to their material and a clear sense of their audience.

03/18/2015

Special thanks goes to Rhett Wilson for sharing his experience and to faculty member Michele Medlock Adams for encouraging him to do so. I love getting letters like this.

Al,

I hope that you and your family are well and are having a good year thus far.

Michelle Adams encouraged me to pass this information along to you as a means of encouragement.

The last two years I have attended the Blue Ridge conference. It is always a pleasure. I leave Ridgecrest feeling tooled and equipped as well as blessed by many friendships.

Two years ago I was unpublished. Due to training and contacts made at BRMCWC, the past two years my byline has appeared in HomeLife, Leadership Journal, Thriving Family, and The Old Schoolhouse magazines as well as The Upper Roomdevotional guide.

As a result of simply following the instructions on a couple of Michelle Adams' BR handouts, I landed my first book contract last summer for a children's book. And this year I snagged a column in our local newspaper.

I continue learning valuable tools about writing and marketing from reviewing my many notes from classes and talks at BR.

I just wanted to say thanks for all of the good work with BRMCWC. It continues to be a pleasure to be a part of that community of writers and encouragers.

I look forward to seeing you in May!

Many blessings,

Rhett Wilson

Thanks for sharing, Pastor.

Rhett Wilson is pastor of The Spring Church in Laurens, SC--a young Southern Baptist fellowship. Besides spending time with his family, he enjoys reading, writing, and traveling.Visit his blog at http://www.rhettwilson.blogspot.com

03/13/2015

Lori Stanley Roeleveld stopped by to chat about her debut book, Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus). This book of 70 devotions is magnificent in its use of humor and heartfelt encouragement. One of my favorite books. We talk about how the book came to be and why she describes herself as a "disturber of Hobbits."

Bio:

Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a disturber of hobbits who enjoys making comfortable Christians late for dinner. She’s authored an unsettling blog since 2009; a pursuit that resulted in her new book, Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus). You’ll find Lori at her website www.loriroeleveld.com or on her front porch writing. If not, know this married mother of two homeschooled adults is off somewhere slaying dragons.

Praise:

"You'll find yourself saying, as I said: 'All right, just one more page. And one more. And one more.'"

03/11/2015

Emotion is part of the human condition. So much so that someone who shows no emotion is considered to have one of a set of medical dysfunctions including alexithymia, an inability to recognize emotion in one’s self or in others. While the character Spock on the Star Trek series, played by the late Leonard Nimoy, made it cool to be logical instead of emotional we non-Vulcans need emotion. And writers need to know how to properly use emotion in their writing.

Readers read to experience emotion. I believe it is one reason thrillers and romance novels do so well. Are you an emotional writer?

The use of emotion is proper in nonfiction as well as fiction. True, novelists have a greater freedom to paint with emotion than a journalist, but the best nonfiction is seasoned with emotion. This is true for history books to devotions. Some of my favorite nonfiction books and articles have touched me deeply.

Don’t overdo it. Readers don’t like to be played with. Killing puppies just to upset your reader will cost you your readers and it will be impossible to get them back. Let emotion be natural and rise from the material you write.

If you don’t feel it, then your readers won’t feel it. Yesterday as I was working on my portion of the Harbingers series I’m writing with Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, and Angela Hunt I came to a scene brimming with emotion. I confess to writing through tears. I hate doing that. I’m a guy after all and my Y-chromosome tends to keep such things to a minimum. But I also love doing that because I know if the scene doesn’t move me, it won’t move the reader.

Emotion is a compound word combing the terms “e” (in/inward) and “motion” (to move). Emotions are physical sensations not abstract constructs. A genuine emotion “moves” within us. We tense in fear, we feel punched in the gut at unexpected loss, we can’t muster much energy when depressed, and we get all ooey-gooey inside when we fall in love. Puppies make us go, “Aww.” Scorpions make most of us say, “Yuck.” When describing emotion (e-motion) to do so with physical descriptions.

Emotion is the seasoning, not the meal. Don’t overdo it. Don’t be sappy. Just give the reader what they need and they will provide the rest themselves.

Nonfiction writers need to consider their audience. Writing for Scientific American will use less emotion than writing for a devotional magazine. Still, I’ve seen journalist take readers on an emotional ride by portraying a situation with honest description. Two come to mind as I write this. Peter H. Wyden, in his book Day One gives an up close and ground level view of Hiroshima after the dropping of the bomb. Tore me up. The other was a news piece about a refugee camp in Ethiopia. Unforgettable.

Study your medium. If you’re writing an article, then study how the best writers use emotion. It’s your job as the writer to know what is acceptable.

03/09/2015

I can say that, because I am one. So I speak from experience, not judgment. Like all creative people, we tend to feel things more deeply, reacting poorly to criticism.

We also have no perspective at all when it comes to our own creations. Because a lot of us begin writing as a hobby, we also seem to have a lop-sided view of the publishing industry.

So today, I’d like to clear up some common misconceptions and share some things that successful writers never say.

1. Uh…I guess…uh…I write.So…I suppose that makes me a writer…sometimes. CUT. IT. OUT. If you are serious about writing, even if you don’t get paid, you can call yourself a writer. So repeat after me. “I am a writer.”

2. I’m a much better writer than the majority of the published writers out there. This is for the small percentage who don’t have trouble telling everyone, “I am a writer.” Some of you believe you know more than everyone else. I hate to break it to you, but you don’t.

3. Sure, I don’t need to write today. I’ll go to lunch with you. Successful writers make spending time putting words on paper (or a screen) a priority. If we want to be taken seriously and have our time respected, we must set the example.

4. I don’t need to read books. I’m a writer, not a reader. Besides, I don’t have time to read. I am not kidding. I’ve actually had writers tell me this. We need to spend time reading, and reading widely. Read outside your genre and learn what works and what doesn’t.

5. I don’t need an editor. I have a sharp eye and can catch anything I need to in my writing. Yes, many of us do have an editor’s eye. That’s a good thing. But that is NO substitute for an editor. We are blind when it comes to our writing. We see what is supposedto be on the page, not what is.

6. I can’t afford to attend conferences. I know conferences are expensive, but they’re also vital to moving forward in your writing career. There are a lot of ways to fund a conference—from asking for money from family and friends instead of gifts for holidays, to writing small articles for pay and saving that money. Conferences do three MAJOR things for writers:

They provide a place to learn the latest industry standards and techniques.

They provide a place to network and talk to writing professionals, like editors, agents and published writers.

They provide a place to network with other writer.

7. I decided to self-publish because traditional publishing just takes too long. I’m glad to say that self-publishing—when done with professionalism—is now a respected option. Beyond that, there are a lot of good reasons to self-publish. But using self-publishing as a short cut is NOT a good reason.

8. I don’t have a target audience, everyone loves what I write. Every book has a primary audience. Yes, there are books that a lot of people enjoy. But if you write to a specific audience, you’ll have a much better finished product. Not to mention the fact that book stores will know where to shelve your book.

9. The rules don’t apply to me. Yes, I’ll be the first one to agree that there are exceptions to almost every single rule you ever hear about writing and/or publishing. BUT we can’t look at ourselves as that exception. Follow the rules and let the exceptions be a wonderful surprise if and when they happen.

10. The first part of my book is just information the reader needs, the story starts on page 70 (40, 60, 90, etc.). I really have lost track of the number of times I’ve had an author say this to me. Here is my response. If the story starts on page 70, that’s where your book needs to start. Trust your reader, and trust yourself, and skip the background information.

11. I’m not a marketer, I’m a writer. If this really is true and you absolutely refuse to market your work, then be prepared to pay. You’ll have to hire someone to market your book because marketing is a joint partnership between the publisher and the writer. That’s just the way publishing works today.

12. The publishing industry is dying. No, not really. It’s definitely changing, but it’s not dying. There’s a difference. Learn to adapt with the changes, but realize books and people who write them aren’t going anywhere.

13. I already have a book contract, I don’t need a literary agent. Now you need one more than ever. There are those who will argue this point, but here are my thoughts. Because of the rapid changes in publishing, contracts are brutal. You need someone in your corner, advocating for you. After the contract, you still need someone to help with possible (really probable) hiccups in the publishing process. If you don’t like your cover, or the copy editor isn’t doing a good job, your agent can be the bad guy and go to bat for you. This makes it possible for you to stay on good working relations with the publisher.

14. I don’t need to work on social media until after I have a contract.This is another that makes me cringe. Editors and agents award book contracts based on a lot of things. Now days, one of those things is whether or not an author has solid online presence. The lack of a presence may not always keep you from getting a contract, but it will affect the way you’re viewed by prospective buyers. Smart writers build an online presence while they’re working on a book, so everything is in place when they begin pitching.

15. Published authors don’t need to take classes or read books on writing. Successful writers know there’s never a point when you’ve arrived. Lifelong learning isn’t just a buzzword, it’s vital to stay current in the publishing industry.

Even though I slanted a lot of the points toward books, all are equally applicable to writers of shorter works. These are things that I believe you’ll never hear a successful writer say. I’d love to know what you’d add to this list. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

03/06/2015

This week I visit with long time writer, former associate editor of Decision Magazine, biographer, and acquisitions editor Terry Whalin. Terry has recently published Billy Graham: America's Greatest Evangelist.

Bio:

W. Terry Whalin has always been fascinated with stories about people and their lives. As a youth, he read many biographies and later he wrote stories as a journalist. Terry has profiled more than 150 bestselling authors in more than 50 magazines including Christianity Todayand Writers Digest. Terry is the author of more than 60 books including biographies of Chuck Colson, John Perkins, Sojourner Truth, Billy Sunday, Samuel Morris and Luis Palau. An Acquisitions Editor at Morgan James Publishing, Terry and his wife Christine live in Colorado. His website is at: www.terrywhalin.com.

03/04/2015

We have posted a new page on the BRMCWC website,the "2015 Critiques Info" page. You can find a link to it on the tab bar above. What do you need to know about the Critiques service at BR 2015? Well, I'm glad you asked.

1. A critique is a professional review of your work. More accurately, a sample of your work. Many of our faculty agree to review a certain number of submissions and offer comments.

2. This is a paid critique. Those using this service pay $30 to the reviewer (not the conference). For that $30 the reviewer will look over submissions (be it an article, blog post, a set of sample pages of a novel or book length nonfiction or any other of 20 categories. The reviewer will provide notes on the submission and meet with you for a 15 minutes session during the appointment times.

3. During the appointment, you get to sit with the reviewer, listen to his or her comments and ask questions.

4. How do you pay? Another great question. Again, the fee goes directly to the reviewer, not the conference. Once you decide who you would like to review your submission, you contact that person. He or she will give you an address where you can send payment. (We don't like to put personal addresses on the website if we can avoid it.)

5. Here's what to do next: 1) Click on the "2015 Critiques Info" tab above (but not until you're done reading this post). Review the material there. It has step-by-step instructions. Take your time reviewing the information. 2) Choose whom you would like to be your reviewer and follow the instructions.

6. Notice that most of the faculty reviewers limit the number of pieces they will look at. You will see their cut off limit as well as their deadline for submissions. Don't wait until the last minute. Once the reviewer hits his or her limit, we remove them from the list.

Is a critique worth the time and money? Yep. Our faculty has been at this business for a long time. A professional review can help you recognize your strengths and areas that need more attention. So take a look and see what you think.